Find the Celt in you at music and heritage festival

For nine days, beginning March 9th and continuing through St Patrick’s Day, March 17th, St Augustine and St Johns County will celebrate the rich Celtic heritage of our community when Romanza presents the Third Annual St Augustine Celtic Music and Heritage Festival.

The excitement builds as decorated floats, marching bands, pipes and drums, horse drawn carriages and military units kick off the festival with the only St Patrick’s parade in Northeast Florida on Saturday morning, March 9, at 10:00 a.m.

“St Augustine is not only the nation’s oldest city, but also the first and oldest Celtic city in all the Americas,” proclaimed Albert Syeles, President and Co-Founder of Romanza. “This festival honors St Augustine’s remarkable Celtic heritage — dating back to its founding in 1565.”

You can follow the parade route from Francis Field, located at 14 West Castillo Drive, as it winds along Avenida Menendez and the bayfront to the historic Bridge of Lions. The revelers continue the parade west on Cathedral Place then return northbound down Cordova Street.

The parade is free with viewing along the sidewalks of the parade route.

The gates of Francis Field will open at 11:00 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, for the first two days of this authentic week-long cultural event; featuring music and entertainment by international headliners as well as other regional stars.

Bring a chair or blanket and rub elbows with athletes of the Highland Games, enjoy visiting the Clans, browsing among Celtic vendors and watching your kids have fun as the entire family listens to traditional Irish music, contemporary Celtic rock and the sounds of Scottish pipes and drums.

Entertainment is scheduled from noon until 10:00 p.m. Saturday and from 11:00 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. General admission is $5.00 — free for kids under 12-years-old and active duty or retired military; with current identification. No coolers, no skateboards, service dogs only.